2S albumin fractions from seeds of seven inbred lines and two cultivar
s of sunflower were compared using a combination of electrophoresis (o
ne and two dimensional) and reversed-phase high performance liquid chr
omatography. Eleven to thirteen major components were present in each
genotype with variation in their proportions and absence or presence.
All appeared to be single chain proteins with relative molecular masse
s (M(r)) between about 10,000 and 18,000; some had intra-chain disulph
ide bonds. Preliminary analyses of single F-2 seeds indicated that som
e components were co-inherited, which could result from their being en
coded by linked genes or by a single transcript from one gene.